Balancing apparatus



Oct. 27, 1936. H. B. GIBBoNs T Al. 2,058,784

BALANCING APPARATUS Filed June 2, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet -41 o ,gv

0 ac. rp, Rlm HR I Oct. 27, 1936. H. B. GlBBONs ET Al. 2,058,784

BALANGING APPARATUS Filed June 2, 1934 2 nests-sheet 2 Fly. 4

lio

RO/VL. HOFF.

ln' f Patented ci. 27, 1936 PATENT OFFICE BALANCING APPARATUS Henry B.

Ohio, assignors mington, Del.,

Gibbons and Ronald c. Hoff, Akron,

to Wingfoot Corporation, Wila corporation of Delaware rApplication June 2, 1934, Serial No. 728,714

3 Claims.

This invention relates to balancing apparatus and more particularly to that type of mechanism adapted for use in determining the balance of annular objects. The invention may also be used 5 for measuring the amount by which any body is out of balance and is readily adapted to be provided with limits whereby theobjects tested can be kept up to certain manufacturing standards.

Heretofore different types of balancing equipment have been proposed for balancing annular objects but substantially all prior known types of apparatus have been objectionable in that nov provision is made to overcome static friction. Balancing apparatus has been provided with means for measuringv the amount by which an object is out of balance, however these means have materially added to the frictional resistance of the apparatus and are moreover ordinarily not directly embodied for simultaneous or alternate use in this type of equipment. It has likewise been found in the past that it is. sometimes desirable to determine the heavy portion of the object to be balanced while at other times it is desirable to actually weigh-the amount by which the object is out of balance. Former known machines have not been adapted to use in these two capacities and itfhas been found necessary to use a plurality of different machines to obtain the desired results.

It is an object of the present invention to avoid and overcome the foregoing diiculties of balancing apparatus heretofore employed by the provision, in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, of a comparatively rugged,

simple and efficient mechanism for readily deter` mining the balance of an object and more particularly annular objects adapted to be rotatable about an axis. f

Another object of thefinvention is the provision of ,balancing equipment which can be quickly changed as the operator desires from apparatus adapted to directly weigh the amount of out-ofbalance to apparatus which quickly and accuratemeasured.

Another object of the invention is to provide balancing equipment in which static friction, i. e. the forcenecessary to overcome the resistance to movement of the bearings supporting the ob- 50 ject to be balanced, is substantially eliminated.

Another object of this invention is to provide a substantially frictionless bearing for the support which carries stantially neutralizing the rolling friction between different portions of the journaling means. Spely determines the heavy side of the object to be' the object to be tested by sub-A (Cl. 'I3-5,1)

cically, we employ anti-friction bearings for supf porting the rotatable support and drive some of the anti-friction bearings in one direction and others in the opposite direction. This not only eliminates the rolling friction but also eliminates 5 all static friction.

Another object of the invention is the provision of substantially frictionless means for measuring in inch pounds or in like units the weight by which an object is out of balance. l0

Another object of the invention is to provide a comparatively Ainexpensive and accurate machine Vadapted for the commercial testing of annular objects such as inner tubes; tires and the like to determine heavy spots or areas therein l5 and to likewise weigh or measure the amount by which these objects are not in balance.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention are achieved in the embodiment of the invention described hereafter and illustrated in 20 the accompanying drawings wherein:

' Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the pivotal-axis of one form of the balancing apparatus comprising the present invention.

' Fig. 2

of Fig. 1. i

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l and illustrates the measuring mechanism included in the balancing apparatus. 30

Fig. 4 and Fig. 4a are taken on line 4--4a of Fig. 3, the iigures being broken apart because of the distance therebetween.

Fig. 5 is a plan view taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 35 6-6 of Fig. 3.

It will be appreciated that the balancing apparatus of the present invention is adapted broadly to use with various objects to be balanced but that the same is particularly adapted to meas- 40 `uring and balancing annular objects such as tires or innertubes. Accordingly the embodiment of the invention selected in accordance with the requirements of the patent statutes for complete illustration and description comprises a form 45 for use in balancing or measuring the out-of-balance of inner tubes.

In the drawings the numeral I0 indicates generally a fixed base or support for the apparatus which may be formed with an integral cylindrical upper portion l2 adapted to receive a hollow shaft I4 journalled by suitable ball bearings I6 and I8 atthe, endsof the cylindrical member I2. Jour-y nalled within the is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 h onow shaft la is a shaft 2o 55 t carried in bau bearings zz'and u mounted se either end of the. shaft |4.

A hub 28 is adapted to be mounted in a frictionless manner upon the shafts I4 and 20 and to this end a ball bearing 30 is carried on the shaft vI4 and a bearing 32 of similar size and construction is secured to the end of the shaft 20 by means of a collar 84, washer 38 and nut 88. The hub 28 includes disks 40 and 42 mounted within the end of the hub and engaging the bearings 30 and 32. A cover plate 44 over the outer end of the-bearing may be secured to the disk 42 as by screws 48. l

Secured' to the hub 28 is a wheel 50 formed with a suitable flanged periphery 52 adapted to receive the object to be tested, which is indicated at 54 as comprising an inner tube having a stem portion 58 extending within a suitable slot 58 cut in the flanged periphery of the wheel 50. A similar slot may be cut diametrically opposite on the whe'el or other measures taken to insure that the wheel 50 will be properly balanced in itself.

The shafts I4 and 20, carrying the bearings 30 and 32 which journal the hub 28, are adapted to be continuously rotated in opposite directions during the balancing operation, and this may be effected by providing sprockets 80 and 82 on the ends of the shafts I4 and 20 remote from the hub 28; These sprockets are driven by any suitable means (not shown) which preferably take the form of an' electric motor drive carried in egralI uwith the apparatus and mounted on the ase The operation of the apparatus, it is believed, will be apparent from the foregoing description,

however a brief resum of the functioning of thek apparatus when used solely to determine the heavy portion of the object balanced now follows. The annular member to be balanced is placed on the flanged periphery 52 of the balancing wheel 50 secured to the hub 28 and the bearings 80 and 32 for the hub are rotated in opposite directions through the sprockets 82 and 80mounted on the shafts 20 and I4 respectively. By continuously rotating the bearings for the hub in the opposite directions and by making these bearings of the same size and of substantially the same frictional characteristics the static friction necessary for the hub 28 and wheel 50 to turn is largely overcome and the rolling friction in the bearings I8, I8, 30, and 32 substantially neutralize each other. In addition a slight vibrating motion is imparted to the Journalsand wheel, which assists in obtaining the balancing operation. Therefore, the wheel 50 carrying the object to be balanced will freely turn so that the heavy portion of the object is downwardly. The object can then be marked' in any manner on the light side thereof so that in the case of a tire the inner tube valve stem may beplaced adjacent the mark on the tire. 'I'his will eifect a balancing of the tire, tube and wheel assembly in use.

. When it is desired to equip the balancing apparatus with additional mechanism for weighing the amount by which an object isout of balance, then additional means must be provided. These means, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated, include a ring'10 yformed with an arm 12 at one side and an opposite arm 14 carrying a counter weight 18. 'Ihe ring 10 ordinarily is carried by an arcuate bracket 18 secured as by screws 80 to the bottom of the cylindrical member I2. A similar arcuate bracket 82 is secured as by screws 84 to the top of the cylindrical member I2. The ring 10 and bracket 18 are preferably formed the ring 10 with respect to bracket 821 Clutch means are employed to releasably secure the hub 28 to the ring 10 and these means may take the form of pins 84 formed with grooved cups 88 at their outer ends which engage with the correspondingly beveled inner periphery of the ring 10. The pins 84 are slidably carried for radial movement in the hub 28 with the aid of suitable sockets |00. Springs |02 are provided on the hub to` normally hold the pins 84 in retracted positions free of the ring 10.

A conical cylinder |08 is employed to move the pins 84 outwardly into engagement with the ring 10 and this action may be accomplished by employing rods |08 which are slidably carried in suitable recesses in the disks and 42 so that the ends of the rods |08 not secured to the cone cylinder |08 can be connected to a header plate |`|0 formed with an operating knob ||2. From Fig. 1 of the drawings it will be recognized that when the header plate ||0 is in the position shown the cone cylinder allows the pins 84 to be held in positions which do not contact the ring 10, however when the header plate 0 is moved inwardly the cone cylinder |08 will force the pins outwardly into engagement with the ring 10. As indicated at X and Y the distance between the pin cups 88 and the ring 10 is greater adjacent the lower arcuate bracket 18, so that operation of the clutch and cone will actually vcause the ring 10 to be picked up off its support on the bracket 18 and to be held in fixed position relative to the hub 28.

The turning movements of the hub as occasioned by the object carried on the balancing wheel 50 will therefore move the ring 10 and thus the integral arm 12 formed thereon. The movements of the arm are measured by the novel equipment now to be described. The base I0 of the apparatus may be -formed with an integral bracket or shelf |20 which serves to simultaneousl |34 to assist in guiding the movement of the piston or float rod |28. Rollers' of the type shown .at |38 are indicated in cross-section in Fig. 6.

The upper end of the float rod 28 is provided with an eye |40 which surrounds a ball bearing |42 which in turn journals a spindle |44. The spindle |44 carries a pairk of stout connecting rods |48 which are secured at their other ends to a spindle |48 (Figs. 4 and 4a) Journalled by ballbearing means |50 in the arm 12.

Associated with the float and cylinder is an inclined indicating scale which comprises a glass tube |54 connected by a conduit |58 to the bottom of the cylinder |22. The inclined glass tube |54 has associated therewith a graduated scale |58 whereby the changes in level of the liquid |24 in the tube |54 and cylinder |22 can be readil,1'de termined. A calibration or zero-setting for'the aosarea scale |58 can be had if desired and this may take the form of screw-adjustment means i60 which can be rotated in a threaded bracket |62 secured to the scale |58. It will be appreciated that the weight of the float |26, rod |28, connecting rods M6, etc. is exactly counter-balanced by the counterweight 16 so that movement of the float will only be occasioned by turning movement of the wheel 5t. i Y

The operation of the weighing mechanism on the balancing apparatus has 'been partially explained above, however it brieiiy comprises: iirst, locating the heavy side of the object and marking the same as heretofore explained, then rotating the balancing wheel and object carried thereby so that the heavy side of the object is located in a horizontal plane intersecting the axis of the wheel or in a position half way between its gravitational dead centers. For example, in weighing the amount of out-of-balance of the inner tube- 54, in which the valve stem 56 may be considered as causing the over-balance of the tube, the balancing wheel is rotated so that the slot 5t 'formed therein is 90 from the bottom ofthe wheel and when in this position the clutch, including the cone cylinder |06, is engaged by pushing the header plate |||l to its innermost position thereby forcing the cup pins 94 to pick up the ring 10. Thus. when the inner tube to be weighed is placed on the wheel 50 with the valve stem 56 projecting horizontally through the slot 58,

the wheel will rotate downwardly under the action of gravity so that through the clui -h mechanism the ring 1I) will be turned, moving arm 'i2 which, through connecting rods |46 and float rods |25, will move the float |26 downwardly into' the snpporting liquid |24. Movement of the float downwardly into the liquid will force the liquid iM upwardly in the inclined glass tube |54 thereby indicating the weight in inch pounds or other suitable units, of the amount that the inner tube weighed is out of balance. The iioat itt will be forced downwardly into the liquid itt until an equilibrium has been reached between the liquid' forced into the tube |54 and the amount that the object is out of balance. It will be understood thatl the opposite rotation of the shafts i4 and 2li is continued during this weighing operation so as to reduce friction and render the mechanism more sensitive. I

Limits can be provided on the indicating scale |58 whereby the commercially unsatisfactory articles can be readily determined and rejected.

As soon as the article is removed from the wheel 50 the Weight of the liquid in the inclined tube |54 will raise the float |26 to return the wheel 5I] to its original position so that the slot 5t will again be coincident with a horizontal diameter Aoi the wheel. 'Ihe operation can then be repeated with the next article to be tested.

\ Change from the weighing use of the equipment back to a mere determination of the heavy portion of the article is readily accomplished by 'merely releasing the clutch by pulling out the cone cylinder |06 through the operation of header plate llh and knob |'|2, which will allow the ring 1li to settle or rest on the arcuate bracket 1t.

From the foregoing it will be evident that an improved type of balancing apparatus has been provided by the present invention in which objects may be readily tested for either the heavy side or the amount of out of balance or both. The improved balancing mechanism incorporates means for overcoming static and rolling friction and the apparatus is comparatively simple and rugged and can be employed after little training by the ordinary laborer rapidly and emciently to check the balance of any object for which it is adapted.

While in accordance with the patent statutes one embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby but is defined in the appended claims.

What we claim is:

l. In a device for measuring the amount by which a rotatable object is out of balance, a rotatable member for carrying said object, an arcuate member positioned adjacent the rotatable member, means normally supporting the arcuate member independently of the rotatable member, means carried by the rotatable member for removing the arcuate member from its normal support and 'for securing the arcuate member to the rotatable member, and means for indicating movement of the arcuate member when in the last-mentioned position.

2. In a device for measuring the amount by which a rotatable object is out of balance, the combination with a rotatable member for carrying said object, means for journaling said rotatable member comprising a plurality of rotatable members moving in opposite directions with respect to each other to eliminate static friction and substantially neutralize vthe rolling friction between said journaling means and said rotatable member, indicating means cooperating' with said rotatable member for indicating the amount which an object placed upon said member is out of balance, a iloating ring normally free of said rotatable member'but adapted to be clutched to lill said rotatable member and be connected directly thereto and concentrically therewith to move in unison with said rotatable member, and clutching .means for connecting said floating ring to said rotatable member. in the aforesaid manner, the floating ring having a connection with said indicating means for operating the same.

3. In a device for measuring the amount by which a rotatable object is out of balance, the combination with a rotatable member for carrying said object, means for journaling said rotatable member comprising a plurality of rotatable means for connecting said iloating ring to said rotatable member in the aforesaid manner, having a connection with said indicating means for operating the same, said clutching mechanism comprising radially movable clutching elements normally out of engagement with said ring and a slidable element adapted to force said clutching elements outwardly into engagement with said ring, said clutching elements also centering said ring with respect to the axis of rotation of said rotatable member, whereby said floating ring is supported directly by and moves in unison with said rotatable member.

' RONALD C. HOFF.

HENRY B. GIBBONS. 

